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SEVA Sets 2018 Convention For Aug 7-9 At Hilton Sandestin Beach

DESTIN, FL Planning for the Southeastern Vending Association 's 13th annual six-state conference has shifted into high gear. It's scheduled for Aug. 7 through 9 (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday), again at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa. The event, themed "Next," is expected to draw more than 250 participants representing 50 operating companies. Pam Beals of Flowers Foods (Suwanee, GA) is chairing the convention. Registration for the convention opens at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 7, and mee...

May 29, 2018

DESTIN, FL - Planning for the Southeastern Vending Association's 13th annual six-state conference has shifted into high gear. It's scheduled for Aug. 7 through 9 (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday), again at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa. The event, themed "Next," is expected to draw more than 250 participants representing 50 operating companies. Pam Beals of Flowers Foods (Suwanee, GA) is chairing the convention.

Registration for the convention opens at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 7, and meetings of the six sponsoring state councils are slated for 4 p.m. An opening-night party from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. will get the event off to a festive start.

On Wednesday, Aug. 8, registration reopens at 7 a.m. The morning program will consist of educational sessions starting at 8 a.m. and concluding at 11:15 a.m. The eagerly anticipated golf tournament gets under way at 12:15 p.m. Those who prefer murbles (a popular lawn game played with 3"-diameter solid balls, similar in some respects to classic murbles and distantly related to horseshoes and bocce) can take part in a murbles tournament, starting at 1 p.m.

Wednesday evening will be highlighted by the 2018 silent auction, the proceeds of which are shared between SEVA and the Alan Plaisted Scholarship Fund. That fund  honors the memory of Alan Plaisted, the long-time owner and operator of Southern Refreshment Services (Tucker, GA), a past-chairman of SEVA. It underwrites one all-expense paid scholarship for the 2018 NAMA/MSU Executive Development Program. The 2018 recipient will receive full tuition valued at $3,475, plus airfare/transportation costs and lodging. Also on tap for Wednesday evening are a reception and dinner with entertainment.

On Thursday, Aug. 9, educational programming will resume at 8:15 a.m. The annual Supplier Showcase and lunch will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. A beach volleyball tournament at 3:30 p.m. will bring the 2018 event to a rousing close; in the event of rain, a cornhole tournament will take place at 2 p.m.

The Southeastern Vending Association is made up of six state vending councils affiliated with the National Automatic Merchandising Association. The constituent councils represent Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. SEVA grew out of an earlier three-state organization, the Vending Machine Association of the Gulf South. VMAGS was officially incorporated in 1981 in Alabama. In 2003, the Georgia Automatic Merchandising Council (GAMC) joined, followed by the Tennessee Automatic Merchandising Association (TAMA) and the Automatic Merchandising Association of Florida (AMAF). This geographic expansion caused the organizers to adopt a new name, Southeastern Vending Association (SEVA), representative of all its members.

Details on the educational program will be finalized soon and posted on the organization's website, southeastvending.org. Online registration and information about sponsorship opportunities are also available.